Six fire departments worked together Saturday night to put out a fire at a Solon Township business.
The Solon Fire Department got the call at 7:04 p.m. January 21 that Quality Formica, 2396 17 Mile Road, at the southwest corner of 17 Mile and Algoma (across from Huck’s Corners), was on fire.
According to Solon Fire Chief Joyce VanderMey, the fire started after someone had been doing some soddering on a copper water pipe earlier in the day. She said it was in a back room, close to the ceiling, and fire got into an attic space.
Algoma and Sand Lake Fire Departments were called for their tankers, Kent City was on full assignment, Cedar Springs was called for pump help, and Rockford was called in for their ladder truck.
Vandermey said they cleared the scene about 12:36 a.m. “We did a lot of salvaging and hauling out brand new stuff they had just purchased while we were fighting the fire,” she explained. Two vans and hi-lo were included in that. “We tried to save as much equipment for them as we could.”
The extreme cold and ice on the ground made it harder for firefighters to get around, but no one was injured.
The two-year-old business specializes in sales and installation of Formica countertops for both homeowners and businesses. The owner says he plans to rebuild.